Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-30

the Coronet had sailed 248 nautical mile
Her position was b. 95 north latitude an
% Al longitude. The succeeding day was
busy one for the sailors. Both watche
were on deck during part of the twenty y-fou
hours. The wind was SO light, puffy an
capricious, that it required almos
continual changing of sails an
hauling OF sheets. The sea continue
turbulant and the yacht at times rolled O.
violently as to threaten the stability of tn
spars. The pressure of wind against tn
mainsail was not sufficient to hold tn
gan steady, and when it appeared probab!
early in the morning that the swaying q
the gaff would carry away the masthead
the mainsail was replaced by a storm try
sail. 1t was now that the immense square
sail did good service, for when spread t,
counterbalance the deficiency OF canva
astern, it carried the yacht along mucl
faster, lightened her much by the head ane
prevented her taking such quantities o
water on deck as when under mainsai il
The boom was used to spread it's foot tt
windward. It was, however. found to b,
impracticable in a heavy beam sea, OWN,
and it was unshipped. Towards sunset
the water became smoother and all saill
| were again set. A calm followed, and al
night there was not sufficient air astir ia
| futter the pennant. The distance ira yeled
from noon Monday to noon Tuesday was
TAB miles nearly due east, bringing the
yacht to latitude 4O.O4 .13 N, longitude
63.23 w. Early on Tuesday morning the
wind rose from the northwest, and by day.
| light it blew q gale.
CANVAS WAS REDUCED
to double-reefed mainsails, foresail with
bonnet out and reeied forestaysail. The
boat was bowling along at the rate OF
twelve knots an hour with a dry deck,
when, between 8 and 9o'clock in the morn
ing, the wind shifted to the snuth-southeast,
blowing at the rate Of sixty miles an hour.
A sudden change caused an ugly cross sea,
the crest OF the waves breaking over the
rails in rapid succession and keeping the
decks almost constantly submerged. To-
wards midnight the wind and sea subsided
considerably, and by Wednesday morn
ing the wind got round to the south
west. The weather was almost an exact
repetition of Tuesdays. Early in the even
ing there was another brief calm with a
swell, and when the breeze next appeared
it came from the west moderate enough
to allow us to carry a fair amount of can
vas. At z q. m. the first object sighted
after the first day out was brig bound
south, but she was not near enough to be
sigDalled and at 5 p. m. westward bound
ship sailing under close-reefed topsails was
sighted six miles to the northward. The
distance traversed on an east by north
course on Tuesday was 1856 miles, and on
Wednesday ZIG miles. The yachts posi-
tions as established by Tuesdays observa-
tions were as follows: Latitude 4O.51;
longitude 59.28.45; Wednesday, latitude
41.25, longitude 54.45.
THE MOST TERRIFIC STORM
Of the series occurred on st. Patrick's Day.
It was MT unexpected, for the indicators
On the barometer, whose tendency had
been downward for three days, suddenly
dropped from 1920 to 1854. The storm
irst developed soon after midnight in sharp
'qualls from the southwest with driving
ain. The wind was fitful for time, COM
ng variously from the south-southeast
% southwest and south, but finally settled |
lpon southwest. At 10 a. m. it began |
blowing with great velocity; by noon it had |
,ecome q hurricane, and two hours |
ater the winds speed was estimated |
Vt eighty miles an hour. 1t was a |
rand battle of the elements. such as is |
eldom witnessed. The waves were noun
ain high. Their surface was lashed into
ose higher than another, the wind carried |
t off in dense spray which, when driven
nto ones face, felt like stabs from scores
II needles. The roaring of the wind was
ike prolonged peal OF thunder and the
was completed by an occas-
onal vivid flash of lightning. This was a
evere test for so small q boat. As she
ank in the trough OF the sea it seemed as
hough the waves, which were half mast
Ugh,
WOULD ENGULF HER
nder reefed foretrisail. She was plunged
long at the rate of nine knots; despite the
reat volumes of water breaking over the
eek, she weathered the storm wonderfully
ell. When at $50 p. m. the hurricane
,emed to be increasing instead of dimin-
hing, Capt. Crosby, fearful that the yacht
ould not hold together much longer if
riven through such a sea, and not being
illing to jeopardize his own and the lives
those on board by running at night,
here it was reasonable to suppose there
ere icebergs, decided to lay.to until the
,orm had ceased. Favorable Opportuni-
es offering
WHEN CREsTs OF THE WAVES II
ere momentarily exceptionally far apart,
1e vessels head was brought around to-
ard the wind. Held in this position un- ,
er only reefed foresail, she could make lit
e progress in any direction. At midnight I
ne wind and sea had moderated consider
bly,, and the schooner was again got under !
ay, running before the wind under reefed {
IRE topsail and fore staysail. The yachts
osition Thursday noon was: Latitude
1.27, longitude 5O.O3, having Travelled {
11.2 miles since the previous noon. The {
Gather on Friday and on Saturday,
lelSth and 10Th, began with light breeze
nd in the afternoontthere were gales, though
oderata compared with Thursdays big
low. Saturday was red letter day, four I
sssels being in sight. The first was west.
ard bound, of the Irman line, which
assed three miles to the Southwark at {
bout 9 q. m. end which answered the in
rnational code number. An hour later a
Zip with all sail set passed Northward. '
t IL O'Clock an Eastbound steamer, car {
ing the Spanish flag, came from the
,uth. She came alongside. reducing her
'eed, and quite conversation was CAR
ed on through Burgee pennants and the
uare code flag. At p. m. an Eastern !
,und steamer passed North, but too far
slant to speak. The days run as COM
tied Friday noon was 135 miles and the
,sition. latitude 41.56, longitude 80.
noon the days run was 225.1 !
lies and position was latitude 43.47, .
ngitude 42.35.15. The theory that :.
STORMS SWING AROUND
a circle was thoroughly proven by the
,ronet's experience on the second Sunday
1en she ran through a revolving gale
nich was nearly as terrific as that OF the \
'th. It first issued from the southeast t
,out 3 q. m. and blew 20 miles an hour r
It'll Z, when it moderated. At 1880
.rdly breath was stirring. In half an
,ur there was a light breeze from the
,rthwest, and at 9 o'clock there came a
Irricane from that direction. Cross \
ives {
BUFFETED THE YACHT
q sheep in mill race and only the most
illful manipulation of the wheel prevent
the huge waves from landing on the deck
ID crushing it in. She carried only fore I
ysail and jib trysail reefed and made e
nsiderable progress through it all. The )
sition at noon was latitude 1926 and
ugitude 39.O453. The distance traversed
ls 1894 miles. Monday, March Fl be-
n with a propitious breeze from the t
rth~ est, but it was as inconstant as bad a
ha trIvN |